The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-12-10

wages, and perhaps before he reaches his hous
10 obliged, In . purchase 10. family use OF An
article which embraces his own lsoo.' 70 n, 10.
which the tariff permits, the hard'sarned ooin'
psnsation Of many days OF toll.
fALsR PHILOSOPHY ron FARhehs
The farmer and the agrieulturist VINO msnu;
fscturs nothing. but who pay the Increased
price which the tariff impo upon evsry essi;,
cultural implement upon ~ he wears and
upon all he uses. and owns, except the increase
his husbandry produce from the sou. 10 Invited
70 aid in maintaining the present situation, ana
no 10 told that high duty on imported wool y
necessary for the bensat OF those Ono nav
wool may be increased. They. OF course. ere
net reminded that tine ts,n,r who has no sheep
10 by this schenie obliged ia has pai'
chases u clothing and woolen gosds W
we'll Is To tho manufactures aud msr.
chant; nor ID ANY mentioa maie OF sns
TACT that the sAesP-ovners thsmseVes an =
their households must wear clothing AM uso
ether articles manufactured from tue wool tnsy
sell At tariff prices, and thus ~ consumers
must return their shafe OF this Increased prios
~ the tradesman,
think 1t may be fairly assumed thas Iarss
proportion OF the sheep owned by the tslnoi,
throughout tho county ara found IN smnI'
hocks numbering from twenty-five TO my;
The duty on the grade OF importer W.
which these SHEEP Weld 10 ~ cents ehoh ~.
IL couts II of the value OF moro than 30 Genus ~
the liberal estimate Of SIX pounds De elloWod
for each fleece tho duty thereon would 10 oo ..
~ cents, and this may 10 taken as Inc utn'1ss
enhanc ement Of its prico To the farmer ~
reason OF this duty. Eighteen dollars wouIo
thus represent the increased price Oh sne
wool from twenty-five sheep, and s3o Una.
from tho wool OF nifty sheep anu ~ ~
present values this addition would amount W
about one-t third Of its price. II, upon IT'S SAFE
the farmer receives this OF less tariff pront'
tho wool leaves his hands charged with pre-,
cisely that sum- which, IN all its chsnBes, wiz
adhere to IL until IL reaches tho consumer.
Whom man ufactured into cloth and other GOODS
and material for use. its cost IL not only inorees
Cd to the oXtsnt OF tho farmers tarin prom, ous
further sum he's been added for the oenens OF
the manufacturer under the operation OF osher
tariff laws In the meantime, the Day AZ
riyes whom the farmer hnds IL necessary 70
purchase WOODEN goods and material 70 elosne
himself and family for the winter wnen ne
faces the tradesman for that purpose he discov.
srs that he 10 obliged not only 70 return IN the
way Of increased prices. his tariff pront on the
wool he sold, and which then perhaps nes 20
fore him In manufactured form. Dut shss no
must add considerable sum thereto TO meet .
further increase In cost caused by tarin auty
on the manufacture. Thus in the ono ne IL
aroused ~ the fact that he has paid upon g
moderate purchase. as result OF sno sai
scheme which. when he sold his WOOL, seemed
60 proftable-sn increase in price more IMAM
sufiicient to sweep away all the tariff pront no
received upon the wool he produced and SOLO.
ITS .RELEsrLEss GRASP
Ehen the number Of farmers engaged In WOOL
rdsing 10 compared with all tho farmers IN the
country. and the small proportion they osSa 70
our population is considered; when It ID made
apparent thst in tho case OF large part OF
thoss who own sheep, the benefit OF the presens
ia IN on wool 10 illusory; and. above All, wncn
IL must be conceded that the Mc.cNss Oh VIC
burden upon those with moderate means anu
tho poor, Ne employed and unemployed we
sick and WE'LL and tho young and Old. ana NAV
It constitutes TAI Which: Vim 's,snuoss as
woman and child IL tho land, reasons are sng-
gestsd why tho removal or reduction OF tnis
duty should DO id ouded in revision Of oul
In speaking Of the iuc0ssed cost 10 tiS spn-
sumer Of our home manufactures. resulting
from duty laid upon imported articles OF the
Same description, the fact is not overlooked tnes
composition among eur domestic produosIss
their products below the highest limit allowed
by such duty. But Il ia notorious that this com
petition Is too often strangled by combinations
called trusts. which have for their object the
regulation Of the supply and price OF dDmmodi
ties ado and sold by members OF the COM
binAtion. Tho people can hardly hope for any
consideration In the operation OF these selfish
schemes.
ton q healthy and free competition reduces
the price OF any particular dutiable article OF
home production below the limit which IL
might otherwise roach under our tariff laws,
and H. with such reduced price, ita manufac-
tute continues TO thrive, IL Is entirely evident
that one thing has been discovered which
should DO carefully scrutinized in an effort to
reduce taxation.
The necessity Of combination TO maintain tho
price of any commodity To the tariff point fur
nj shes proof that some ono IL willing to accept
lower prices for such commodity, and that such
prices are remuneratiye, and lower prices pro-
duced by competition prove the same thing
Thus. where either OF these conditions exist a
case would seem TO be presented for an easy re-
duction OF taxation.
The considerations which have been present
ed touching our tariff laws are INTENDED only 10
enforce an earnest recommendation that tho
surplus revenue OF the Government be prevent
cd by the
REDUCTION OF our CUSTOMS DUTIES,
and at the same time, to emphasize a sugges-
ton that In accomplishing this purpose We may
discharge double duty to our people by grant
ing to them a measure OF relief from tariff taxa
ton in quarters whore 1t IS most needed, and
from sources whore it can be most fairly and
Justly accorded.
Nor can the presentation made OF such con-
siderations be, with any degree Of fairness, re-
garded "a evidences OF unfriendliness toward
our manufacturing interests or OF any lack OF
appreciation OF their value and Importance.
these interests const tuto a leading and most
substantial element OF our national greatness,
and furnish the proud proof Of our countrys
progress. But il, IN the emergency that presses
upon us, our manufacturers are asked to
surrender something for tho public good
and to avert disaster their patriotism. rs well as
"a grateful recognition OF advantages already
afforded should lead Thorn to willing co-opera-
ton No demand ID made that they shall fore
10 all tho benefits OF governmental regard but
they can not fail to be admonished OF their duty,
AZ well as their enlightened solf-interest and
safety, when they are reminded OF the fact that
financial panic and collapse, to which the pres
ont condition tends, afford no greater shelter or
protection to our manufactures than to our other
important enterprises. Opportunity Tor safe,
careful and deliberate reform 10 now offered.
and none OF US should DO unmindful OF . time
whom
AN ABUSED AND IRRIrATED PEOPLE,
reasonable relief. may insist upon radical and
sweeping rectihcation OF their wrongs.
Tho difficulty attending q wise ana fair re-
vision of our tariff laws Ia not undore slim ated.
1t will require on the part OF our Congress great
labor and care. and especially broad and ma
tional contemplation OF the subject. and patri-
otto disregard Of such local and selfish claims
az are unreasonable and reckless OF the welfare
OF tho entire country.
Under our present laws more than four thou
sand articles are subject to duty. Many Of
these do not in any way compete with our own
ma nufactures, and many are hardly worth st
tsntion ~ subjects Of revenue. A considerable
reduction can DO made in tho aggregate by add.
ing them to the free list. Tho taxation Of lux
uriss presents no feature OF hardship. but the
necessaries OF life used and consumed by al
the people, the duty upon which adds to the
cost OF living In every home, should be greatly
cheapened.
The radical reduction OF the duties imposed
on raw material used in manufactures, or its
free importation, 10 OF course an important fac